6 Lube Ingredients You Might Not Want to Put in Your Vagina

Let’s get one thing straight: Lube is a magical invention. Yes, when you have a vagina and are super-excited at the prospect of having sex, said vagina may lube up on its own. It’s an interesting, convenient physical mechanism that happens as part of the female sexual response cycle, making sex easier and more pleasurable for you.

But sometimes you can’t get as turned on as you'd like, whether it’s because of aging, a new birth control method, or some other reason—or maybe you can still get turned on, but you want to amp up the wetness even more. Cool. Either way, that’s where lube comes in.

Here’s a quick lube primer for you.

Lube comes in three basic categories, Alyssa Dweck, M.D., gynecologist in Westchester, New York, and assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, tells SELF: water-based, silicone-based, and oil-based.

What works best for you will largely depend on trial and error, but before you get to that fun homework, know this: Oil-based lubes can degrade latex, Dweck says, so they don’t play well with condoms.

Another important note is that silicone lubes are “über-slick,” Dweck says, and don’t dry up as easily as the other varieties do. “If you want something that lasts a bit longer, silicone is the way to go,” she advises.

If you’re curious about what’s actually in lubes, you’re not alone. “There’s a lot of controversy about lube ingredients,” Dweck says. The controversy centers around concerns that some chemicals could be irritating, or even potentially affect your health. “But always keep in mind some women can stick anything in their vaginas as lube and be happy campers.” (Not that we’re suggesting you try sticking just anything in your vagina as lube.)

If you’ve experienced discomfort with some lubes in the past, or just want to play it ultra-safe, here are six lube ingredients you should know about and potentially avoid.

1. Glycerin

Glycerin is a humectant (meaning it helps to retain moisture) that shows up in a lot of lubes, especially ones that are flavored or warming. Although those special effects can be intriguing, your vagina might struggle when it comes into contact with glycerin.

“Glycerin is a metabolic byproduct of sugar, which can serve as food source for microbes,” Jamil Abdur-Rahman, M.D., board-certified ob/gyn and chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan, Illinois, tells SELF.

In particular, glycerin may contribute to an overgrowth of yeast, which can then cause yeast infections. “That doesn’t mean everyone who uses a glycerin-containing lubricant is going to get a yeast infection, but if you’re already prone to them, glycerin may be an ingredient you may want to stay away from,” Dweck says.

2. Nonoxynol-9

Many spermicides, which immobilize the little swimmers that could get you pregnant, contain this chemical. But its powers aren’t limited to sperm.

“Nonoxynol-9 can kill both good and bad bacteria [in the vagina],” Sarah Yamaguchi, M.D., ob/gyn at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, tells SELF. Whenever your vaginal bacteria get skewed off balance, it can result in an annoying infection, like bacterial vaginosis.

Even if it doesn’t lead to an actual infection, the chemical might cause some uncomfortable inflammation and irritation, Abdur-Rahman says. And if you’re sensitive to this chemical, FYI, many condoms come prepared with a spermicidal lube, so you’ll want to double-check those, too.

3. Petroleum or petroleum-based ingredients

No using Vaseline or baby oil as a lube! These oily options can overstay their welcome in your vagina (since they're so sticky, they can hang out up there for longer than other lubes), Abdur-Rahman says. And for some people, that can alter the pH in their vaginas to the point where it leads to a higher chance of infections, like bacterial vaginosis, says Dweck.

These ingredients don’t typically show up in lubes, but this is a general warning against using lubricants made from petroleum.

4. Propylene glycol

This ingredient has many functions, including acting as a humectant, preservative, and more. And it’s another one that can cause some vaginal irritation if you happen to be sensitive to it, Abdur-Rahman says. There’s also a lot of alarm about propylene glycol because it’s sometimes used “as a base for deicing systems,” aka antifreeze, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But the Food and Drug Administration has concluded that “there is no evidence in the available information on propylene glycol…that demonstrates, or suggests reason to suspect, a hazard to the public when [it is] used at levels that are now current or that might reasonably be expected in future.”

The FDA also regards it as “generally recognized as safe” in food. As in, as long as you’re not chugging multiple bottles of lube per day, you shouldn’t freak out that using a normal amount of propylene glycol-containing lube during sex will harm your health.

5. Parabens

There’s also a ton of debate surrounding parabens, or a group of chemicals used as preservatives. There’s worry that parabens may be endocrine disruptors and act in an estrogen-like fashion, potentially messing with people’s hormones or even increasing their chances of getting breast cancer, Dweck says. For that reason, some people prefer to stay away from any parabens in their personal care products.

Worth noting: The FDA says the jury is still out on this one: “At this time, we do not have information showing that parabens as they are used in cosmetics have an effect on human health,” the organization says, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

6. Chlorhexidine gluconate

For some people, this antibacterial is a red flag. “It can be a little caustic,” Dweck says. Again, that doesn’t mean you absolutely will experience irritation or inflammation if it’s in your lube, but it’s worth taking into account if you’re experiencing problems with your current lube or have a sensitive vagina and are in the market for a new lubricant.